Chelsea traveled to the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford in a Premier League match, with the Blues looking for their third victory of the season. A win would propel them to the top of the league table, at least temporarily, pending Liverpool's result against Burnley.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca faced several lineup decisions, particularly regarding Cole Palmer's fitness and the availability of South American players who had recently returned from international duty. Palmer, who missed the previous two games due to injury, was subject to a late fitness test after participating in a training session. The South American quartet of Moises Caicedo, Estevao, Joao Pedro, and Andrey Santos were also doubtful due to their demanding travel schedules. Ultimately, Palmer was named among the substitutes.

The Chelsea starting lineup featured Sanchez in goal, with Fofana, Chalobah, Adarabioyo and Hato in defense. The midfield consisted of Caicedo and Fernandez, while Neto, Buonanotte, and Gittens supported Joao Pedro in attack.

Brentford, under the guidance of their new manager Keith Andrews, aimed to secure a significant win. Andrews, tasked with improving upon last season's mid-table finish, saw his team enter the match in 15th place with 3 points. Brentford's lineup included Kelleher, Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Schade, and Thiago.

The match was available on Sky Sports in the UK, with coverage starting at 7:45 pm BST on Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Sky Sports subscribers could also stream the game live via the Sky Go app and website.

Early in the game, both teams battled for control, with Chelsea looking to assert their dominance and Brentford aiming to exploit any weaknesses in the Blues' lineup. Brentford have been unconvincing in the early stages of the campaign after a tumultuous summer, failing to impress in losses to Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, though those results are in stark contrast to a League Cup upset of Bournemouth and a narrow win over Unai Emery's Aston Villa. Chelsea beat Fulham 2-0 in controversial fashion before the international break as VAR interventions helped them out massively.